A pregnant pause: meditations for moms-to-be

Women have immense creative power. This creativity manifests most physically in our natural ability to conceive and deliver a child. As you develop an awareness of another life blossoming inside of you, you’ll begin to experience an expansion of yourself on multiple levels. With the expansion of your womb comes the expansion of your heart, as you begin to envelop this new creature in a love that stretches beyond anything you’ve ever experienced.

As you begin to recognize the responsibility, pleasure, and privilege of becoming a parent, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. Taking a moment every day to tune into your body and the majesty of its creative power will help you stay grounded and connected as your pregnancy progresses.

Here are three meditative practices to help you work through this momentous transition and harness grounding and healing energy as you move through the remainder of your pregnancy:

Body scan: for when you feel disconnected

To begin, take a comfortable seat and take three deep breaths. Close your eyes. Allow your awareness to wander down into your toes and pay attention to any sensations or lack of sensations in that area. Slowly move your awareness into your feet, ankles, shins, and up the rest of your body until you’ve devoted special attention to every part of your body. When you’re done, imagine you are inhaling a waterfall of light through the crown of your head and exhaling the shower of light through your feet. Then inhale that light through the feet and out through your head. Repeat at least five times. Take a huge body stretch when you’re done and smile to seal in the benefits of this session.

Bubble of joy: for when you feel down

To begin, take a comfortable seat and take three deep breaths. Close your eyes. Place your hands over your womb. The womb represents the center of feminine wisdom, power, and clarity. Visualize a tiny, radiant bubble forming in your womb from the heat in your hands. As you inhale, imagine the bubble getting bigger and enveloping your child in soothing, healing light. As you exhale, imagine it pushing out any negative energy you are holding in that area of your body. As it gets bigger with every breath, imagine it expelling more and more negative energy as it encompasses more and more of your body. When the bubble envelops all of you, visualize it growing even bigger and encompassing your home, your family, your loved ones, your friends, colleagues, and eventually the whole world. Dwell in this precious, protective bubble of joy for as many breaths as you need.

Self-soothing: for when you need comfort

To begin, take a comfortable seat and close your eyes. Wrap your arms around yourself and inhale your own warmth. Begin to stroke your own hair, your face, your shoulders and arms, your legs, all with great tenderness, like a mother soothing a child. Feel what it’s like to be comforted and soothed by the warmth of your own hands. As you do this, repeat to yourself, “Everything’s all right.” Not only does this meditative practice help you find comfort and reassurance, it also boosts your circulation, increasing your body’s innate healing and nurturing abilities.

Explore these meditations regularly and notice how you feel day by day after each session. You will likely find in this daily pregnant pause a storehouse of replenishing vital energy that will help you release blockages in your body, mind, and soul while establishing a potent state of calm and peaceful reassurance.

— Tina Chadda, MD is the founder of the Akasha Meditation App, which believes everyone has the power within themselves to naturally bring positivity, health, and well-being into their lives. The app’s combination of meditation, mindfulness, and positive practices can accelerate your personal development. Each content-rich session is based on curated, psychologically informed concepts and is presented in a simple and easy-to-understand language. The app is available for free on iTunes and Google Play for all mobile devices in the U.S.

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